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July 13th, 2012

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed second-round draft pick Jeffery Taylor. The Bobcats selected Taylor with the 31st overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft.

The 6-7 Taylor finished his career at Vanderbilt ranked second in career scoring (1,897), sixth in rebounding (752) and eighth in steals (146), becoming the only player in school history to rank in the top 10 in all three categories. During his senior season, he appeared in 36 games and averaged 16.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 32.1 minutes. He was named First Team All-SEC in 2012 and Second Team in 2010 and 2011, while also being named to the SEC All-Defensive team in each of the last three seasons. In 2008 Taylor played for the Swedish National Team in the FIBA Under-20 European Division B Championships, where he averaged 19.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in eight games.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed guard Nando De Colo. The 25-year-old De Colo was selected by the Spurs with the 53rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

The 6-5, 200-pound De Colo has spent the past three seasons playing for Valencia in the Spanish ACB League. He helped lead Valenica to the 2010 Eurocup Championship and to the ACB playoffs in each of his three seasons with the club, including the 2011 ACB Finals. In three seasons with Valencia, De Colo averaged 12.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals in 106 ACB games. In two Eurocup appearances, he averaged 12.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 32 games.

De Colo made his pro debut in 2006 with Cholet Basket in the French ProA League. He spent three seasons with Cholet, averaging 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 83 games. De Colo was named ProA League All-Star in 2008 and 2009 and was selected to the FIBA Eurocup All-Star Team in 2008.

Born and raised in France, De Colo has played for the French National Team since 2008. In the 2011 European Championship, he averaged 6.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 11 games to help France capture the Silver medal and qualify for the 2012 Olympics. De Colo has also represented France in the 2009 European Championship and 2010 World Championship.

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has waived forward Luis Scola and have designated him as the team’s amnesty player as allowed by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“On behalf of the entire organization and Rockets fans around the world, I want to thank Luis for his contributions to our organization and the City of Houston,” said Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander. “Luis is a tremendous player who has been the consummate professional both on and off the court. His dedication to winning and being a team player are unsurpassed.”

“Decisions like this are never easy, especially when it involves a player with the character and work ethic of Luis Scola,” said Morey. “Luis is a special player whose winning qualities embodied what it means to be a Houston Rocket. His accomplishments in a Rockets uniform speak for themselves and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Scola (6-9, 245, Argentina) averaged 14.5 points and 7.7 rebounds in 386 games (343 starts) with Houston. His 2,984 boards leave him ninth on the Rockets all-time list for most career rebounds. In 2011-12, Scola was honored as a member of the Rockets All-Decade Team of the 2000s. Selected by San Antonio in the second round (56th overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft, Houston traded guard Vassilis Spanoulis to acquire Scola’s draft rights from the Spurs on July 12, 2007. Scola went on to earn NBA All-Rookie First Team honors in 2007-08.

The Memphis Grizzlies re-signed forwards Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur to multi-year contracts, Grizzlies General Manger and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

“The re-signing of Marreese Speights and Darrell Arthur is very important for the present as well as the future of the Grizzlies,” Wallace said. “Both Marreese and Darrell have proven to be players who can help us win, not just amass stats for themselves. Two seasons ago, Darrell was a vital player for our team which won the initial playoff game and series in franchise history. This past season, Marreese came riding into town in January and helped save our season after both Darrell and Zach Randolph went down to injuries. Both players also have considerable room to improve. This is a great day for the franchise that we have both of these crucial players staying in Memphis.”

Speights (6-10, 255) set career highs in scoring (8.8 points), rebounding (6.2) and minutes (22.4) in 60 games (54 starts) last season after Memphis acquired him from the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 4, 2012 in a three-team trade that also included the New Orleans Hornets.

With Speights in the starting lineup, Memphis posted a 37-17 record (.685) and went on to record the club’s highest-ever regular season winning percentage (.621). For the first time in franchise history, the Grizzlies clinched home court advantage in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, where Speights averaged 6.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.3 minutes in seven games against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 24-year-old holds NBA career averages of 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.4 minutes in 265 games (58 starts) over four seasons with the Grizzlies and 76ers. Philadelphia selected the St. Petersburg, Fla. native with the No. 16 overall pick in the first round of the 2008 NBA Draft.

Arthur (6-9, 235) posted career bests in scoring (9.1 points), blocks (0.79), field goal percentage (.497), free throw percentage (.813) and minutes (20.1) in 80 games (nine starts) during the 2010-11 season before a torn right Achilles sustained on Dec. 18, 2011 caused him to miss the entire 2011-12 season. The 24-year-old underwent surgery on Dec. 22, 2011 and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2012-13 season.

Before suffering the injury, Arthur registered 7.1 points and 0.92 blocks in 15.5 minutes in 13 games during the 2011 NBA Playoffs, which included a first-round upset over the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs and a seven-game series with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals.

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward Joel Freeland, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey.

The Trail Blazers’ 30th overall selection in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft, Freeland joins the Trail Blazers from Unicaja Malaga in the Spanish ACB League.

“The timing was right to bring Joel over and we’re thrilled it worked out,” said Olshey. “He is a rugged interior player with a nice touch around the basket and he plays hard every game. Joel will be a nice addition to the roster.”

Over the past three seasons with Unicaja Malaga, Freeland (6-11, 225) posted averages of 12.6 points (55.3% FG), 6.2 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 24.6 minutes in Euroleague and ACB play. He spent the previous three seasons with Gran Canaria, also of the Spanish ACB League.

Freeland, 25, is a starter for the Great Britain national basketball team, which will compete as the host country in this summer’s London Olympics. A native of Farnham, England, he led the national team with 15 points in a game vs. Spain earlier this week.

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have been awarded free agent forward Elton Brand.

Brand (6-9, 255) was the top overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and has played in 860 games (830 starts) with Chicago, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia. He holds career averages of 18.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 blocks and 36.3 minutes per game while shooting .501 from the field and .739 from the free throw line.

Brand is a two-time All-Star (2002, 2006) and was named All-NBA Second Team for the 2005-06 season. He won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2006 and shared Rookie of the Year honors with Steve Francis for the 1999-2000 season.

Brand was recently waived by Philadelphia and designated as the team’s amnesty player. Last season with the Sixers, he averaged 11.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 blocks and 28.9 minutes in 60 games (all starts).

The Peekskill, N.Y., native spent his two-year collegiate career at Duke University where he led the Blue Devils to the NCAA Championship Game and was named as the consensus National Player of the Year.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced the team has waived guard Martell Webster. The Timberwolves also today announced the team has traded center Brad Miller and two future second round draft picks (Brooklyn’s 2013 second round selection and Minnesota’s second round draft choice in 2016) to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for a future conditional second round pick.

“We want to thank Martell for his two years with us,” said Kahn. “Unfortunately, Martell’s back condition caused him to miss significant time both seasons and prevented him from playing at a consistently high level. I have spoken to Martell on numerous occasions and watched him work out last month. We are both optimistic he will have a terrific season next year.”

Originally acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers on June 24, 2010, Webster, a 6-7 guard/forward, averaged 8.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 93 games (27 starts) over parts of two seasons (2010-11 - 2011-12) with the Wolves.

“Brad’s help to us last season occurred off the court as much as on the court. He will be missed,” said David Kahn, Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations. “We thank him for being a part of the Timberwolves.”

Originally acquired from the Houston Rockets on June 24, 2011, Miller, a 7-0 center, played one season (2011-12) with the Wolves, averaging 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 15 games (one start). In 868 career games (598 starts), the 14-year NBA veteran holds career averages of 11.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game.

The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent center Chris Kaman.

Kaman (7-0, 265) was the first round draft pick (sixth overall) in the 2003 NBA Draft of the Los Angeles Clippers. The 30-year old played eight full seasons with Los Angeles before being traded in December to the New Orleans Hornets in a deal that sent Chris Paul to the Clippers. He holds career averages of 11.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 29.7 minutes in 540 career games with 458 starts.

“We are excited to welcome Chris Kaman to Dallas,” President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson said. “Chris is a former All-Star who has accomplished a lot in this league. He is extremely skilled on both ends of the floor and will bring a low-post presence and versatility to the center position. Chris is a true professional on and off the court and we are pleased to welcome him to the Maverick family.”

Kaman had a breakout season for the injury-plagued Clippers in 2007-08 when he averaged a double-double 15.7 points and 12.7 rebounds. In 2010, Kaman was at last named an NBA All-Star and participated as a Western Conference reserve for All-Star Weekend in Dallas. That year he averaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds in 76 games.

In 2008, Kaman joined Dirk Nowitzki as a member of the German National Team and helped the squad qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. It was the Germans first Olympic berth since 1992. Kaman is a dual citizen of both the United States and Germany.

The Grand Rapids, Mich., native spent his three-year collegiate career at Central Michigan University where he still ranks seventh on the school’s all-time rebounding list and 11th on the all-time scoring list while holding the school record for career field goal percentage (60.8%). His junior year, Kaman was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Honorable Mention All-America by Associated Press.

Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins announced today that the team has signed free agent guard Ramon Sessions.

“Ramon is a quality point guard who can both distribute and score,” Higgins said. “We are excited to be adding a player of his caliber and ability to our franchise.”

A five-year NBA veteran, the 6-3 Sessions has played in 323 career games with the Bucks, Timberwolves, Cavaliers and Lakers, posting averages of 11.1 points, 5.0 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 25.4 minutes. The Myrtle Beach, SC, native was originally selected by Milwaukee with the 56th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft after three seasons at the University of Nevada, where he helped the Wolf Pack to three straight Western Athletic Conference championships.

Sessions split the 2011-12 season between the Cavaliers and Lakers, with overall averages of 11.3 points, 5.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 26.7 minutes. He also shot a career-best .443 from beyond the three-point line, making 43 three-point field goals on the season after totaling only 13 in his first four NBA seasons combined. Following a trade to the Lakers on March 15, Sessions averaged 12.7 points, 6.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 30.5 minutes, starting 19 of his 23 regular-season games with Los Angeles. While with the Lakers, Sessions shot .479 from the field and .486 from beyond the three-point line.

In 20 games (20 starts) played for the Clippers during the 2011-12 season, Billups averaged 15.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 30.4 minutes per contest. Billups shot 36.4 percent from the field, 38.4 percent from behind the three-point line and 89.5 percent from the free throw line. Billups 2012 season ended prematurely on February 6th in Orlando when he suffered a torn left Achilles tendon after scoring 18 points (10 in the fourth quarter) in what would eventually be a 107-102 overtime road win for Los Angeles.

Billups averaged 16.8 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 32.1 minutes in 72 games with Denver and New York during the 2010-11 season. He was traded to the Knicks on February 22, 2011 and was later claimed by the Clippers off of waivers on December 12, 2011.

The 15-year veteran point guard was an NBA All-Star in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 and named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2005-06 and the All-NBA Third Team in 2006-07 and 2008-09. Billups helped lead the Detroit Pistons to the 2003-04 NBA Championship and was selected the 2004 NBA Finals MVP for his stellar play in the series.

Originally drafted by the Boston Celtics with the third overall pick of the 1997 NBA Draft after a standout career at the University of Colorado, Billups has appeared in 1,002 career NBA games for Boston, Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, Detroit, New York and the Clippers, averaging 15.5 points, 5.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-3, 210 pound Colorado native was also a member of the gold medal winning USA Team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship.

The Portland Trail Blazers have signed forward J.J. Hickson, it was announced today by General Manager Neil Olshey. We’ll post contract details here later today.

The Trail Blazers signed Hickson, 23, on March 21 for the remainder of last season after he was waived by Sacramento on March 19. He appeared in each of Portland’s final 19 games in 2011-12, including 10 starts.

“J.J. played very well for Portland late last year and we’re pleased to be able to bring him back for another season,” said Olshey. “He’s a very special athlete that will offer some depth on the front line and we expect him to pick up where he left off in April.”

Last season with Portland, Hickson averaged 15.1 points (54.3% FG), 8.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.95 blocks in 31.6 minutes per game. He led the Trail Blazers in rebounding and field goal percentage, while ranking third in scoring during his time in Portland. Hickson’s six double-doubles in the month of April tied for sixth in the NBA.

In four NBA seasons with Cleveland, Sacramento and Portland, Hickson has compiled averages of 9.0 points (49.0% FG), 5.8 rebounds and 21.3 minutes in 277 games (158 starts). He was originally selected by the Cavaliers with the 19th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

The Indiana Pacers announced Friday they have re-signed free agents Roy Hibbert and George Hill. We’ll post contract details here later today.

“Re-signing Roy and George shows a commitment from Herb Simon to our franchise, our team and our fans that we fully intend to keep this team moving forward in the NBA,” said Donnie Walsh, Pacers President of Basketball Operations. “Both of these players were very important to our success last season and to have them locked up for the coming seasons is a great foundation to build off of.”

Hibbert, a 2012 NBA All-Star, is coming off his best season with the Pacers, averaging 12.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. He finished the season ranked fifth in the NBA in blocks per game. Originally drafted by the Toronto Raptors in the 2008 NBA Draft (17th overall pick), he was traded to the Pacers on July 9, 2008 and has spent all four of his seasons in the NBA with the Pacers. He has career averages of 11.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game.

“I’m happy to be back and I have unfinished business here,” said Hibbert. “I can’t wait for the season to begin.”

“As Donnie and I went through this process, it really wasn’t a matter of ‘if’ we would keep Roy and George. We had to keep them,” said Pacers General Manager Kevin Pritchard. “When you look at how this team, with the emphasis on team, is constructed, so many parts fit very well. These are two parts who are still young, who are going to get better and who are going to make our team better. Roy and George are also excellent representatives of the franchise and excellent representatives of the community. They are quality players and quality people.”

Hill, a native of Indianapolis, played both high school and college basketball locally at Broad Ripple High School and IUPUI. He was drafted by San Antonio as the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and spent the first three seasons with the Spurs before returning home to play for the Pacers as part of a draft night trade on June 24, 2011. The 6-2, 180-pound guard has career averages of 9.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

“I’m happy to be staying home with family, friends and my AAU program,” said Hill. “The main thing was to keep this team together and keep moving forward. It was always a dream to be with the Pacers and now that it’s reality for a longer period of time, it’s great.”

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that they have re-signed center Spencer Hawes. According to multiple reports, the deal is for two years, $13.1 million.

Hawes (7-1, 245) was originally acquired by Philadelphia along with Andres Nocioni from Sacramento in exchange for Samuel Dalembert on June 17, 2010. In 118 games with 110 starts for the Sixers, Hawes has averaged 8.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.01 blocks in 22.4 minutes per game while shooting 47.4% from the floor.

Last season, the Sixers were 22-15 in games that Hawes played compared to a 13-16 mark in games that he missed. The fifth-year veteran recorded eight double-doubles in 37 games played last season after having just seven in 81 games played in 2010-11.

The Nuggets continue to pursue restricted free-agent center JaVale McGee, who has a five-year, $50 million offer on the table, a source said. But McGee’s representatives don’t appear to be in a hurry to get a deal done and will continue to negotiate.

The Nuggets can match any offer another NBA team would make to McGee, 24.

In the 20 regular-season games he played for the Nuggets last season, the 7-footer averaged 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds and made five starts.

The Indiana Pacers announced Friday they have signed free agent guard D.J. Augustin to a contract. Per club policy terms of the contract were not released.

“D.J. is an excellent pick-up for this team,” said Pacers General Manager Kevin Pritchard. “He’s an amazing kid that will fit well here with the Pacers’ family. His experience will be valuable as we move our franchise forward. Our priority is to keep our own players and then to fill in the holes that exist. D.J. helps us accomplish that.”

The 6-0, 180-pound Augustin joins the Pacers after spending the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Charlotte Bobcats. Drafted as the ninth overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Bobcats, he has career averages of 10.9 points and 4.4 assists per game. As a rookie, he was named to the 2008-09 All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 11.8 points, 3.5 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 72 games played.

“I’m very excited,” said Augustin. “It’s a great organization basketball-wise, they made the playoffs last year and to be part of a winning organization feels great.”

The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Jerryd Bayless to a multi-year contract, Grizzlies General Manger and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to add Jerryd Bayless to our team,” Wallace said. “He is a rapidly-improving young player who is coming off his best season in the NBA. Jerryd will address two areas of need: three-point shooting and backup point guard play. He is a very hard-working player whose best days as a professional are ahead of him.”

Bayless (6-3, 200) established new career highs in scoring (11.4 points), assists (3.8), steals (0.77) and minutes (22.7) in 31 games (11 starts) last season with the Toronto Raptors. The 23-year-old also set personal bests for field goal percentage (.424), three-point field goal percentage (.423) and free throw percentage (.852).

In 11 games as a starter, Bayless posted 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists on .450 shooting (.429 three-point shooting) in 34.6 minutes. Those averages surged to 21.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists on .543 shooting (.571 three-point shooting) in 37.5 minutes during a five-game run as a starter from March 11-17, 2012. Bayless recorded 28 points, six rebounds and nine assists in an overtime victory over Memphis on March 16, 2012 at FedExForum.

The Phoenix, Ariz. native owns NBA career averages of 8.1 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists on .412 shooting in 229 games (36 starts) over four seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Hornets and Toronto Raptors. After becoming the first freshman since Sean Elliot (1985-86) to lead the University of Arizona in scoring, Bayless was selected by the Indiana Pacers in the first round (No. 11 overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Portland on draft night.

The Memphis Grizzlies signed 2012 draft selection Tony Wroten, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Wroten (6-6, 203) was selected by the Grizzlies in the first round (No. 25 overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft. The 19-year-old became the first freshman in University of Washington history to earn First Team All-Conference honors, ranking fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring (16.0 points), eighth in assists (3.7) and second in steals (1.9) in 35 games for the Huskies.

In his lone collegiate season, Wroten set numerous school freshman records, including scoring average, most points (559), assists (130) and steals (66), and earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors. He also joined Detlef Schrempf (1984-85) as the second player in program history to compile at least 500 points, 150 rebounds and 100 assists in a single season.

The Seattle, Wash. native led the Huskies with 12 games of 20-or-more points, including a UW freshman-record 29 points on March 8, 2012 vs. Oregon State in the Pac-12 Tournament. He tallied 22 points against Oregon on March 20, 2012 in the NIT Quarterfinals.

Wroten was a member of the 2010 USA U-17 World Championship Team that posted a perfect 8-0 record and captured the gold medal while attending Garfield High School, which also produced Brandon Roy.

The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have re-signed guard Patty Mills. Per club policy details of the contract were not released.

“Patty came in and impressed us from the moment he joined us last season,” Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said. “He gives us some added depth at the guard position and we are excited to have him back in San Antonio.”

Mills, a 6-0, 185-pound product out of St. Mary’s (CA), was signed by the Spurs this past season on March 27. In 16 games (three starts), Mills averaged 10.3 points, 2.4 assists and 1.8 rebounds in 16.3 minutes. In his final two games of the regular season Mills set career-highs for points and assists. On April 25, he registered a career-best 27 points at Phoenix only to surpass that the following night in Golden State scoring 34 points and handing out a career-high 12 assists.

A native of Australia, Mills spent part of the 2011-12 season playing overseas in his home country and China. Originally drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 55th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, Mills appeared in 74 games in Portland, averaging 5.1 points and 1.5 assists in 11.1 minutes.

Mills is a member of the Australian National Team which qualified for the 2012 Olympics.